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Katya Virshilas
Katya Virshilas '(born September 10, 1983) is a Lithuanian-Canadian dancer and actress, best known as a professional dancer on the BBC One dance series Strictly Come Dancing. Early Life Virshilas was born in Lithuania, to a Jewish family. She subsequently moved to Israel at age six, and to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at thirteen. Career She was a Vancouver British Columbia DanceSport Champion four times, from 1998 to 2002. In 2001, she and her partner won the Canadian Latin Dance Championship. Virshilas has appeared in the Hollywood films Shall We Dance? (2004), Take the Lead and John Tucker Must Die (both 2006), and in the television shows Smallville, Supernatural and others. Based in the United Kingdom from the start of her appearances in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing series, she has since 2009 been professionally partnered with Danish dancer Klaus Kongsdal. Virshilas toured the UK with Pasha Kovalev from March 26, 2012 in their own show. 'So You Think You Can Dance On the first series of the televised reality dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance, Virshilas choreographed or semi-choreographed four routines for different couples: *Week 1 - helped James Jordan with the choreography of Robbie White and Yanet Fuente's American Smooth style Foxtrot. *Week 2 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Mark Calape and Lizzie Gough's Viennese Waltz, which was highly prasied by the judges. *Week 5 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Mandy Montanez and Alastair Postlethwaite's Paso Doble, which was criticised by the judges for the lack of passion, in particular, Nigel Lythgoe, series creator and judge, said it was the worst performance the pair had given over the course of the whole series. *Week 6 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Lizzie Gough and Tommy Franzen's Tango, much to the praise of the judges. Virshilas reappeared on the second series to choreograph more routines: *Week 2 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Stephanie Powell and Gian Luca Loddo's Cha-cha-cha, which was praised by the judges, despite Powell and Loddo being placed in the bottom two couples by public vote and consequently eliminated. *Week 2 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Alice Woodhouse and Charlie Wheeller's American Smooth style Waltz, praised highly by the judges. *Week 7 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) the boys' group Paso Doble performance (Lee Bridgman, Luke Jackson and Matt Flint). *Week 8 - choreographed (alongside professional partner Klaus) Matt Flint and Kirsty Swain's American Smooth style Waltz/Foxtrot. Personal Life Virshilas and her partner Klaus Kongsdal announced their engagement in January 2011. The couple married on Saturday July 7, 2012. Strictly Come Dancing She appeared as a professional dancer on Series 7 (2009) of Strictly Come Dancing patnering cricketer Phil Tufnell. They were knocked out of the competition in Week 9. On that week, they were in the bottom two couples after a combination of the judges' points allocation and the audience's votes, alongside Ricky Groves and Erin Boag but were not saved by the judges. Virshilas returned for the eighth series of the show in Autumn 2010 and was partnered with rugby player Gavin Henson. In Week 1 they scored 28 (their highest so far) and in Week 4 they scored 23 for a Tango to Britney Spear's "Toxic". However, they were knocked out in the semi-final. In the ninth series, she was paired with Dan Lobb who was at the time one of the presenters of Daybreak. However, they were eliminated in Week 3 of the competition. On June 20, 2012, it was announced that Virshilas would not appear in the tenth series. 'Partners' *Phil Tufnell (Series 7) - 8th Place *Gavin Henson (Series 8) - 5th Place *Dan Lobb (Series 9) - 13th Place 'Couples' *Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas *Gavin Henson and Katya Virshilas *Dan Lobb and Katya Virshilas Category:Professional Dancers Category:Female Professional Dancers Category:Series 7 Category:Series 8 Category:Series 9